King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is the first health system outside of North America to achieve Stage 7 on the ambulatory Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAMSM) by HIMSS Analytics, the highest recognition for use of clinical information technology (IT) systems and advanced safety features to improve health outcomes and enhance the patient care experience. KFSH&RC is Saudi Arabia's first integrated digital hospital that successfully deployed the highest level of health IT. "KFSH&RC shares Cerner's belief that a solid health IT infrastructure is the foundation for improving the health and care of patients and the community. Being the first health care facility outside of the North America to reach Stage 7 is not only an honor, but a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our KFSH&RC leadership and colleagues, and the committed efforts of the Healthcare Information and Technology Affairs department," said Osama Alswailem, MD, MA, chief information officer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. "The Cerner Millennium® EHR supported our goal of providing integrated high-quality health care services to our patients. With Cerner solutions, our staff is equipped to make more informed decisions and access to the right patient information at the right time." One of the key success factors in achieving HIMSS Stage 7 for ambulatory was implementing Sehaty, the patient portal developed by KFSH&RC, which allows patients to securely access their personal medical records and health data in an easy-to-use online environment. This interactive patient portal helps to improve the way patients communicate with providers. In 2012, KFSH&RC was the first facility in the Middle East to achieve inpatient HIMSS Stage 6 recognition. Three years later, KFSH&RC achieved HIMSS Stage 6 for ambulatory. It was the first facility throughout the Middle East and Africa to earn this title. "King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center is a longtime Cerner client, and we are extremely pleased for its HIMSS Stage 7 ambulatory achievement. This level of accomplishment does not come without many years of hard work and determination," said Ali Slimani, senior director and general manager of Cerner Middle East and Africa. "We are delighted that Cerner Millennium is one of the key components that enabled KFSH&RC to receive such an honor. This puts the organization in a league of its own in regards to other EHRs in the region." More than 13 years ago, KFSH&RC launched an integrated clinical information system that enabled authorized users to capture, retrieve and share patient data seamlessly and helped the system increase patient quality, clinical outcomes and service excellence. Cerner has successfully implemented solutions in more than 20 KFSH&RC departments, including surgery, emergency, radiology, laboratory and patient access. KFSH&RC leaders will share their success story at Cerner's Health Conference this month.
